Each year, United Way partners with organized labor to select one of its own to receive the Joseph H. Mason Award.
The award honors the memory of Mr. Mason and what he did for our community. Any union member, active or retired, who has provided outstanding volunteer service in Southern Chautauqua County, is eligible for nomination.
ABOUT JOE MASON
Joe Mason was the Directing Business Representative of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 65, representing southwestern New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. Joe's reputation for standing up for the causes of labor, most importantly impacting the day-to-day lives of working men and women of our area, is well known.
Joe was recognized nationally for serving as the first Co-Chair of the labor management committee, a locally initiated, revolutionary approach to labor relations. A long-standing member of the United Way Board of Directors, Joe exemplified labor's commitment to serving our community through his devotion to the United Way campaign.
After Joe's passing, the United Way Board of Directors created this award in recognition of labor's critical contribution to the success of the United Way. What followed was 41 years of the United Way recognizing the critical role that local labor leaders play in serving our community, in addition to serving the interests of the union members they represent.
